Looking for a sure-fire way to raise your sports performance? Study after study confirms the affects of music on attitude and behavior. Certain music strikes certain chords within us, changing our inner vibrations, making us sharp when we're flat. You can tinker with your mood, tune into your inner rhythms, make your spirit soar!
THE MOZART EFFECT ON ATHLETES
Athletes deal with play-by-play pressure. Elite athletes become comfortable being uncomfortable. Young athletes can be surrounded by unfamiliar spectators, while top sports stars are scrutinized by millions of viewers and the media.
Fifteen minutes of Mozart can calm your nerves, clear the jumble in your head, place you in a safe place. According to Don Campbell, author of "The Mozart Effect," a little Mozart goes a long way to:
> boost your immune system
> regulate stress
> expand your perception of time and space
> increase your effectiveness
> help your digestion
> increase your endurance
> create a comfort zone
HEAR THE MUSIC, BE THE MUSIC
If you are feeling emotional, unfocused, scattered--sit quietly with Mozart or Baroque music. If you are too systematic, too robotic, too structured in your play--listen to some Jazz.
You want to know what certain types of music can offer you? Follow this guide:
Baroque -- order
Georgorian Chants -- meditative
Romantic -- compassion
Jazz -- inspiration
Samba -- soothes
Big Band -- well-being
Pop -- belonging
Country-Western -- modesty
New Age -- relaxation
Metal -- release
Hip Hop -- understanding
Find the music that best suites you. Use it to your advantage. But do it now because music has been found to be so effective for athletes that some organizations are thinking of banning IPods and MP3 players from the field.
I wonder, would that include national anthems?
email: athletewhisperer@gmail.com
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Sunday, November 26, 2006
GAME PRESSURE
When I was a teenager, a classmate of mine who was a cheerleader and had a lot going for her--pretty, great personality, nice family--asked me how I was so confident. I remember her asking so earnestly, "Where do you get it from?" I didn't have to think about the answer, it just came out, "Here take mine, I'll get more."
Contrary to her outward appearance she had fear, the opposite of confidence. Fear boils, the pressure creates steam and perspiration, which are forms of hot air looking for an escape. Fear is just a lot of hot air. It doesn't exist unless we create it and give it form.
PRESSURE
We create pressure by forming anxieties about the future and recalling failures from the past. We create pressure by attaching our worth to results. We create pressure by not practicing enough. We create pressure by not breathing correctly. We create pressure by making comparisons. We create pressure by feeling accountable to others. We create pressure by selfishly hoarding our successes. We create pressure with stagnation. We create pressure with perfectionism. IT'S COMING AT US FROM ALL ANGLES AND WE JUST CAN'T TAKE IT!
"DON'T CHOKE"
You're not alone. Everyone feels pressure. Everyone has fears, loses confidence, loses site of the original goals, loses focus, and gets emotional during a contest. Even Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Michael Jordan, and Marion Jones have choked. As International Mental Game Coaching Association founder Bill Cole says, It's who chokes least that wins.
HOW TO MEASURE SUCCESS
Baseball batters are happy getting an on-base hit 30% of their at bats. Boxers usually win in the distance if they hit their opponent with 20-30% of punches. Skilled hockey players make millions of dollars putting the puck in the net 10% of their shots.
Picture your boss storming into your office and demanding, "Do you have that cost analysis report for me?" and you say "Nope." So he leaves your office but applies the pressure eight more times during the day with the exact same demand. Finally, after the tenth time you hand it over. Is that success?
What are your odds of sinking a ten foot putt? How many foul shots can you make out of ten? How many first serves do you get in during a typical match? Do you measure your successes and failures? Don't. It's an endgame you'll lose 95% of the time. Which means you allow yourself to be satisfied only five percent of the time. Talk about pressure!
ANTI-STRESS TECHNIQUES
Here are some suggestions that you can also give form:
> Learn to belly-breath
> Don't try so hard
> State your moment-to-moment goals
> Correct your posture
> Talk to your fears
> Monitor your emotions
> Remind yourself with Power Word cues
> Play like your hero
If you are hardly ever satisfied with your performance you need to become familiar with all these anti-stressors. They will give you back your confidence.
Take them. . . I have more.
email: athletewhisperer@gmail.com
Contrary to her outward appearance she had fear, the opposite of confidence. Fear boils, the pressure creates steam and perspiration, which are forms of hot air looking for an escape. Fear is just a lot of hot air. It doesn't exist unless we create it and give it form.
PRESSURE
We create pressure by forming anxieties about the future and recalling failures from the past. We create pressure by attaching our worth to results. We create pressure by not practicing enough. We create pressure by not breathing correctly. We create pressure by making comparisons. We create pressure by feeling accountable to others. We create pressure by selfishly hoarding our successes. We create pressure with stagnation. We create pressure with perfectionism. IT'S COMING AT US FROM ALL ANGLES AND WE JUST CAN'T TAKE IT!
"DON'T CHOKE"
You're not alone. Everyone feels pressure. Everyone has fears, loses confidence, loses site of the original goals, loses focus, and gets emotional during a contest. Even Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Michael Jordan, and Marion Jones have choked. As International Mental Game Coaching Association founder Bill Cole says, It's who chokes least that wins.
HOW TO MEASURE SUCCESS
Baseball batters are happy getting an on-base hit 30% of their at bats. Boxers usually win in the distance if they hit their opponent with 20-30% of punches. Skilled hockey players make millions of dollars putting the puck in the net 10% of their shots.
Picture your boss storming into your office and demanding, "Do you have that cost analysis report for me?" and you say "Nope." So he leaves your office but applies the pressure eight more times during the day with the exact same demand. Finally, after the tenth time you hand it over. Is that success?
What are your odds of sinking a ten foot putt? How many foul shots can you make out of ten? How many first serves do you get in during a typical match? Do you measure your successes and failures? Don't. It's an endgame you'll lose 95% of the time. Which means you allow yourself to be satisfied only five percent of the time. Talk about pressure!
ANTI-STRESS TECHNIQUES
Here are some suggestions that you can also give form:
> Learn to belly-breath
> Don't try so hard
> State your moment-to-moment goals
> Correct your posture
> Talk to your fears
> Monitor your emotions
> Remind yourself with Power Word cues
> Play like your hero
If you are hardly ever satisfied with your performance you need to become familiar with all these anti-stressors. They will give you back your confidence.
Take them. . . I have more.
email: athletewhisperer@gmail.com
Thursday, November 23, 2006
10 QUESTIONS TO ASK ANY ATHLETE WHEN PERFORMANCE IS SUFFERING
Why these particular questions? Because they cut a path to the truth. If you want to get close to the reasons why you, or any athlete, has slowly or suddenly been performing less than usual, start with with these questions. Then for each answer, open a dialog by asking "Why's that?"
#1. Why are you playing your sport? Not yesterday, not tomorrow--now, today!
#2. Do you still enjoy practicing? You should still be using that valuable time to always improve. Unless you think you know it all. If that is the case, please write a book and share all you know with us. Or, perhaps you are humble enough to admit you still don't know everything there is to know about your sport. That is the way to mastery.
#3. Are you playing with physical injuries that others don't know about? It is more courageous to let others know.
#4. Has there been a death, loss, or serious illness of a relative or loved one recently? "Recent" means five years or less. We all need time to recover emotionally.
#5. Are you sleeping soundly? Insomnia, nightmares and night-terrors are messages.
#6. What else is bothering you right now? Could be an accumulation of many little things. Maybe it's major. It's your life, you have to deal with all of it.
#7. What are your other interests? If you don't have other things and people in your life that interest and excite you your performance can lack depth. The more you have to offer the longer you will last.
#8. How else do you express yourself? Maybe you help a non-profit organization or sing opera.
#9. What is your daily stress level (1-10 most)? This is a general measure of your daily anxiety, which can affect your specific performance.
#10. Can you name 10 things in your life off the top of your head that you appreciate? GO!
Re-ask these questions now and then. It helps fine tune your game.
email: athletewhisperer@gmail.com
#1. Why are you playing your sport? Not yesterday, not tomorrow--now, today!
#2. Do you still enjoy practicing? You should still be using that valuable time to always improve. Unless you think you know it all. If that is the case, please write a book and share all you know with us. Or, perhaps you are humble enough to admit you still don't know everything there is to know about your sport. That is the way to mastery.
#3. Are you playing with physical injuries that others don't know about? It is more courageous to let others know.
#4. Has there been a death, loss, or serious illness of a relative or loved one recently? "Recent" means five years or less. We all need time to recover emotionally.
#5. Are you sleeping soundly? Insomnia, nightmares and night-terrors are messages.
#6. What else is bothering you right now? Could be an accumulation of many little things. Maybe it's major. It's your life, you have to deal with all of it.
#7. What are your other interests? If you don't have other things and people in your life that interest and excite you your performance can lack depth. The more you have to offer the longer you will last.
#8. How else do you express yourself? Maybe you help a non-profit organization or sing opera.
#9. What is your daily stress level (1-10 most)? This is a general measure of your daily anxiety, which can affect your specific performance.
#10. Can you name 10 things in your life off the top of your head that you appreciate? GO!
Re-ask these questions now and then. It helps fine tune your game.
email: athletewhisperer@gmail.com
Thursday, November 16, 2006
50-QUESTION ASSESSMENT
"You have to train your mind like you train your body."
(Bruce Jenner, Olympic Gold Medal Decathlete)
Take this PEAK PERFORMANCE 50-Q Assessment (developed by Int'l Mental Game Coach Assoc. founder Bill Cole). Email it back to me at: athletewhisperer@gmail.com. I will then analyze your answers--at no fee. It is NOT a psycho-babble survey.
It's fun to find things out about yourself. . .
ARE YOU READY TO CHANGE [TRAIN] YOUR MIND?
Answer each question YES (Y) or NO (N). Email the Assessment numbered 1-50 with a "Y" or "N" after each number. Do not include the question. Example:
1. Y
2. N
3. Y
etc.
-----------------------------------
1. I have a mental training system. Y N
2. I have this plan written down. Y N
3. I have short-term goals and long-term goals in this plan. Y N
4. I have dates for all goals written down. Y N
5. I like to practice. Y N
6. I have asked my coach "How did I do?" Y N
7. I know what the 90% Rule of Athletics is. Y N
8. I do know what % of sport achievement is physical. Y N
9. I know what "belly breathing" is. Y N
10. I look at my written game plan at least once a week. Y N
11. I keep a sports performance journal. Y N
12. I visualize myself succeeding before I perform. Y N
13. I monitor my thoughts before I perform. Y N
14. I am able to move objects just by using my thoughts. Y N
15. I know what % of athletes use mental training techniques. Y N
16. I do other things besides sports for fun. Y N
17. I monitor my feelings before I perform. Y N
18. I know how to control my breathing. Y N
19. I know what my "Optimal Performance Number" is. Y N
20. I practice as I want to perform. Y N
21. I study the equipment I use. Y N
22. I have practiced with my eyes closed. Y N
23. I subject myself to practice situations similar to those I will encounter in a real performance. Y N
24. I know how to play the "As if. . ." game. Y N
25. I am good at canceling "I can't" thoughts. Y N
26. I take time to review my performance. Y N
27. I know how to get into the "Flow" of my sport. Y N
28. I train myself to stay in "The Zone." Y N
29. I know how to remove mental blocks. Y N
30. I am good at tuning out negative criticism. Y N
31. I play concentration games. Y N
32. I am a patient athlete. Y N
33. I have a pre-game ritual. Y N
34. I have my own "trigger" or "power" words. Y N
35. I often tell myself "good job!" Y N
36. I give back to my sport by helping other athletes. Y N
37. When people I know watch me play I get nervous. Y N
38. I get along with all my coaches. Y N
39. I use affirmations daily. Y N
40. Every day I take a silent moment and ask for my wished to come true. Y N
41. I am aware of how long motivation lasts. Y N
42. I am positive and passionate about my primary goal as an athlete. Y N
43. I have written down my Reward Statement. Y N
44. I know on average how many times a day I need to check my attitude. Y N
45. I thank my supporters daily. Y N
46. I praise my teammates. Y N
47. I realize what % of my sport is under my control. Y N
48. I know that elite athletes use imagery. Y N
49. I know that almost all U.S. Olympic athletes and most professional sports teams/individuals use sports psychology consultants. Y N
50. I believe I can improve my game even more with mental game training. Y N
Email your answers for your complimentary analysis!
email: athletewhisperer@gmail.com
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
A CALM VOICE
I am the calm voice that quiets all the other loud voices in an athlete's head. I bring down the volume, teach how to filter out the white noise and focus on the 10% the athlete can truly control.
Have you lost the ability to filter out all the instructional voices? When did you lose the fun of your sport? Why are you playing?
I can show you how to effectively use the FIVE WHYS OF MOTIVATION. . .the 90% RULE OF ATHLETICS, and more.
Have you lost the ability to filter out all the instructional voices? When did you lose the fun of your sport? Why are you playing?
I can show you how to effectively use the FIVE WHYS OF MOTIVATION. . .the 90% RULE OF ATHLETICS, and more.
If I could grant you one wish in your sport what would it be?
email: athletewhisperer@gmail.com
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